Thanks to all of those who joined us on Saturday, June 30th to celebrate our 45th annual Braintree Day – including Governor Baker. The day was another tremendous success in no small part due to our Recreation Director Nelson Chin and the Braintree Public Works Department as well as the 4th of July Committee. While our annual celebration is often the most visible part of the summer our recreation schedule is in full swing, with camps, parties in the park, summer concerts, movie night, and trips to Fenway Park to see the 1st Place Boston Red Sox. Please check out the upcoming events section of this newsletter or if you have any questions regarding any of these events, please call our recreation office at 781-794-8950.
Through the end of August, Braintree Town Hall and 85 Quincy Avenue buildings will be open for summer hours. Monday through Wednesday they will be open from 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM, Thursday from 8:00 AM – 7:00 PM, and Friday from 8:30 AM – 1:00 PM.
Additionally, this summer we launched our Mayor’s Office Summer Internship program. I’m excited to announce that three recent college-bound graduates from Braintree High School were selected for the program - Clarice Berardinelli, Cole Corcoran, and Ashley Tsang. They are currently working on projects related to civic engagement, web development and communications under the direction of Andrew Marron, who oversees constituent services and digital initiatives for the Town.
I hope that you all found a chance to relax or spend time with family to celebrate Independence Day as well. It is a time to remember this great American experiment of Democracy, Freedom, and Liberty and to be thankful for all those who serve and protect these rights.
Here are a few additional updates that I would like to make you aware of.
COMING SOON: BRAINTREE ATHLETIC COMPLEX - PETERSEN POOL
You may already be aware that this past spring the Braintree Athletic Complex and Petersen Pool project received approval from the Planning Board. The complex will be located at Braintree High School and is expected to be open for operation in Fall 2019. Recently, Shawmut Design and Construction has been awarded the contract as the general contractor to build the complex; a groundbreaking event is being planned for August. This public-private partnership is one the first of its kind in Massachusetts – a feat that certainly should be recognized. Special thanks to all those involved in leading the project, including Joe Reynolds, Chief of Staff – Our Planning and Community Development Department – as well as the Planning Board.
AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES
Last month, I joined other Metropolitan area mayor’s in signing onto the Massachusetts Department of Transportation memoranda of agreement to facilitate testing of autonomous vehicles. Autonomous vehicles are an inevitable part of our Commonwealth’s future, and agreements such as this will help ensure safe and thorough testing. Deployment of these types of vehicles might, in the future, impact numerous areas of our society. Benefits such as reduction of injuries of lives lost in vehicular accidents, possible reduction in congestion and emissions and greater mobility for those who are limited by the current transportation options our system provides. We will keep you updated as to our progress in selecting an area of Town to begin testing. Let me stress that no testing will be done on any streets of our Town without ample public notice and input.
SIDEWALK SCANNING TECHNOLOGY:
Yesterday, I announced that the Town of Braintree has begun assessing their 200 plus miles of sidewalk using a high tech pavement management company, StreetScan. Using their patented sensing technology, StreetScan’s data collection consists of multiple sensors that record three modalities of acoustic, optical, and electromagnetic waves and can scan more than 100 miles a day. In developing the Town’s American’s with Disabilities Act (ADA) Self-Assessment and Transition Plan, this is the final component of the assessment of our Town property to partial fulfill the requirements outlined in Title II of the ADA act. The data collected will allow us to prioritize and develop plans for sidewalk improvements in addition to the 100 Roads Program which addresses barrier removal and sidewalk condition as streets are reconstructed. For more information on this initiative or to learn more about our efforts to improve access with the Town, please contact Kristen Zechello at (781) 794-8327
NATIONAL GRID
Over the past few weeks National Grid, which serves as the gas utility for municipalities in our region, has been engaged in an industry dispute which has led the company to locking-out employees until a new agreement is reached. On Monday, July 9th the Town Council, with my support, passed a resolution in support of the locked-out employees and expressed our hopes that a fair resolution is soon agreed too.
In the interest of public safety, I have directed that our DPW Highway Division refrain from issuing any non-emergency street opening permits to National Grid until further notice. I do not have confidence that the temporary workers brought in by National Grid have the knowledge or ability offered by the current high-skilled workforce to adequately and appropriately address matters such as gas main replacements and connections from public mains to private gas systems.
AMAZON DISTRIBUTION FACILITY
Two months ago at a Town Council meeting, I announced that Amazon had plans to lease 200,000 square feet of warehouse and distribution space along Campanelli Drive in Town. As I noted then, bringing Amazon into our Town will have a tremendous potential to draw other companies to the region, and Braintree is well positioned to take advantage of this. Their proposal is currently under review and was the main topic of discussion during this month’s Planning Board meeting at Town Hall. We know the benefits of such a move – utilization of unoccupied space, tax revenue and jobs – but, as is always a consideration, and a priority with our Engineering Department our Planning Board team members, we’re also acutely aware of traffic and safety concerns that residents have expressed. I appreciate the phone calls and emails our office has received from residents on both sides of the proposal and look forward to continued discussion. The planning board will hold a special meeting on July 24 to continue their review of this Amazon proposal.
PARKING ENFORCEMENT
Recently our Police Department has increased parking enforcement within high-traffic areas, such as South and North Braintree Squares and The Landing. This effort has been made in conjunction with the Braintree Chamber of Commerce and is to ensure greater access to local businesses in our business districts. If parking in areas such as these, please be aware of any posted parking time limits. Generally, street parking is for two hours while municipal lots allow for a three-hour limit. Cars that do not observe the time limit may be ticketed to ensure compliance with the law.
Have a happy and safe summer - stay cool.
- Joe
Mayor Joseph C. Sullivan
Town of Braintree
(781) 794-8100
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See an issue? Report it! Download Braintree's new reporting app, "Commonwealth Connect."
Learn more here.
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Finance Department
As part of the Town of Braintree’s new and improved Web site, the Finance Department is working to provide more information on the website in several areas, in order to be more transparent.
Online Bill Payments
Our primary online bill payment vendor has changed to Uni-Pay. Please use the links on our website or click here to pay your bill. Please note that Water Bills will continue to be paid through our prior vendor, invoice cloud, through August 30. View the Water Department’s website for more information or click here.
Official Statements
Annually the Town issues debt in the form of bonds to be paid overtime for larger capital projects that will benefit the residents for a number of years. An Official Statement is prepared for each bond issue and provides financial information about the Town of Braintree finances. The Official Statement is a document prepared by the town to provide information for potential investors, banks, rating agencies and the public.
In conjunction with the bond issue, bond rating agencies perform a detailed review of the town’s finances and operations and then issue a bond rating based on that review.
Click here to view some of the most recent Official Statements and the corresponding rating agency reports.
Click here to view the most recent Official Statement (OS) and the applicable rating agency report that corresponds to the Official Statements.
Annual Audit
The Town of Braintree, due to the amount of Federal Financial Assistance we receive, is required to have an annual audit, performed by an independent audit by a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). The audit is an independent review of the towns financial operations and federal funds received. For the last six years, the Town has produced a Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) the CAFR is a comprehensive financial statement that provides a lot of detailed information to our residents, the public, federal government, state government, banks and rating agencies. Click here to view the most recent independent audits.
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Braintree Alerts powered by Smart911 is the official emergency notification system used by Town of Braintree to communicate with community residents during emergencies. Sign up now to receive free alerts from the Town via text message, email, and/or voice message.
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 Recycling & Trash Update
NO PLASTIC BAGS IN RECYCLING CARTS PLEASE!
Make sure that plastic bags are not thrown in the recycling bin! They are not recyclable, and create a lot of work for our friends at the recycling plant! Please dispose of plastic bags in trash bins, or reuse them when going to the store! Help us build a more sustainable future!
Have you seen our new weekly series on social media called "Trash Talk" yet? Follow the Town of Braintree on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to stay up to date!
Commonwealth Connect
Commonwealth Connect is a citizen request mobile application (available on Apple IOS and Google Android) and our Town website that allows citizens to report concerns within the community. While not an emergency service, the application allows citizens to report issues such as potholes, signage problems, tree concerns, traffic issues, and more directly to Town Departments. There have been over 1,145 requests submitted within the past year, of which almost 1,000 have been closed.See an issue? Report it! Click here to learn more about Commonwealth Connect.
Braintree Talent Bank
Interested in serving on one of Braintree's numerous Town Boards or Committees? Complete our Talent Bank application (click here to view) and submit it to the Mayor's Office.
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Community Events:
- Summer Concert Series at Sunset Lake
- Beanstock Music Festival
- July 14, 2018, from 3:00 PM to 8:00 PM at French's Common
- To benefit “The Sun Will Rise” Foundation for substance abuse prevention.
- There will be live music, a $1000 Frisbee toss, as well as food, drinks, and raffles!
- Click here to learn more.
- Rev-Up Disability Voter Forum
- Parties in the Park
- Hosted by Mayor Sullivan. Complimentary Hotdogs, Hamburgers, Chips, Snacks and Soft Drinks Will Be Served
- July 19 - Highlands School Playground, 6:00pm - 8:00pm. DJ, Bounce House, Games, and Other Activities Provided by Crystal Entertainment Services.
- July 24 - Sunset Lake (BELD Sponsored), 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm, as part of our outdoor concert series featuring live Musical entertainment of The Heritage House Blues Band.
Public Meetings:
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For more frequent updates from Mayor Sullivan and Town Hall follow us on:
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